As we settle into our busy schedules, it will become increasingly difficult to take time to finish decorating and organizing our living spaces. So, it is important to set a routine for yourself as soon as possible to keep your room a clean and productive space where you can feel at ease and relax after your busy days. To get you on the right track in setting up your ideal dorm room, here are some tips to help you maximize space and keep your belongings organized and easily accessible.
Firstly, make containers your best friend. Get easy-to-open bins of various sizes (don’t forget about the small ones) and categorize them. Having a designated bin for your items makes your life so much easier, especially when it comes to small, easy-to-lose items like scissors or hair ties. Make a container of miscellaneous toiletries and necessities; it will be easier to see when you are running low on a product or have misplaced something.
Next, to limit the amount of clutter that may start to accumulate in your room, make a pile of things you do not use and want to bring back home. Our first few weeks of receiving new t-shirts, backpacks, and various other products have proven that we are going to collect a LOT of new stuff throughout the year. So, if you know you aren’t going to use something but brought it to college “just in case,” put it aside to send home with your family or to bring home at some point.
On the topic of categorizing and sifting through what you do or don’t need, let’s tackle winter clothes. These tend to take up way too much room in our tight spaces, so don’t bring them out until you have to. Keep opposite seasons packed away until it’s time to break them out. Storing your winter clothes in a suitcase or large bin under your bed will save so much space in your room during these warmer months. When the seasons change, break out those jackets and fill that suitcase or bin with your summer wardrobe.
Having a structured and orderly closet can be the key to keeping your entire room tidy. The shelves we are provided in the commons closets are the first step to this organization, and you should move them around according to the system you want to set in place. I would recommend moving down both the highest shelf, for more storage on top, and the smaller, middle shelf so you can hang shirts and shorter items above it. With this system, try to hang more items in your closet as opposed to stuffing them in drawers. Hangers are thin and allow you to fit many items in a confined space. For anyone with a lot to hang up, tiered hangers are great for fitting multiple clothing items in a tight area. You will get better use out of your clothes if you can see them all in front of you instead of digging through deep piles in your drawers.
Moving down, the floor of your closet is a perfect place for a shoe rack to keep everything in one tight space and maximize that area. You can buy shoe holders that fold up and store easily while still fitting up to fifteen pairs of shoes.
One of the best ways to make a space look clean is to have a neat and orderly desk. Regardless of whether you study or get ready at your desk or not, keeping it bare and uncluttered makes your whole room look so much more spacious. Plus, if you have a free desk, you will be way more inclined to make use of that space constructively. Also, don’t be afraid to take advantage of the blank space on the walls. Use command hooks/strips and hanging closet and supply organizers with pockets. Utilizing the bare walls can be the key to accessing your belongings more easily.
Finally, Decorate! The more you make the space your own, the more comfortable you will start to feel in it. You may want to change things later and move stuff around for more convenience but give it time and you will start to figure out what works for you and the best techniques for creating your ideal space.